This is so ridiculously long and I am so sorry. I'm sure there are things I could and should cut out, but I just don't want to. Haha. I've been working on this piece by piece since last summer. It's loosely based on a dream I had; I wrote the dream down, and then started getting ideas to build on it. It's just a one shot, not a chapter story. And it's just a whole lotta fluff. So, I hope you can find it in you to enjoy this. I apologize if it's boring, but for some reason, this little short story means a lot to me. Reviews are MUCH appreciated, even if you have nothing good to say; tell me what you didn't like.
And don't judge me for using an Aly & AJ song okay? Haha.
"Little did I know before, we would be something more."
We Know What We Feel
Of all days Kamryn never expected to be alone… she was alone. The beginning of her week had been hard and stressful and just plain bad—she lost the job she'd had for seven years over a minor incident, and she had been really looking forward to this weekend to take the edge off in the most innocent way possible.
She had been in store for a roadtrip for this particular weekend, a three hour drive to Houston, another four hours to Dallas the next day, and even another four hours to Tulsa the day after that had been planned originally, but it got nixed when money became an issue. She was seeing the American boyband Big Time Rush with her closest friends, and with VIP for Dallas. She had been looking forward to these concerts for months on end, knowing it would relieve her of any stress she may have, but nothing had seemed to go as she wanted so far.
First the trip got delayed for hours, then Kamryn's car momentarily died on them on the highway, then they got stuck in traffic in the middle of nowhere with hardly any gas. Kamryn was in a horrible mood by the time they finally reached the mall in Houston that was next door to the venue. She hated to put a damper on her Houston friends' moods, but she was just down and not up for shopping at all.
So that's how she ended up at the mall's pet store. Alone. Leaned against the glass case and lazily petting a cuddly teacup piglet. She felt miserable, knowing it was just her luck that she couldn't get over her unhappiness on what was supposed to be a perfect day.
"They're adorable, aren't they?" An all-too familiar voice was suddenly right next to her in the empty store, his arm casually brushing against hers and a hand clasping the glass container while he reached his other down to pet the piglet she had just been occupied with.
It was hard to keep the excited grin wiped from her expression, but she somehow managed, settling with a content smirk. "They are," she murmured, wondering how her luck had pivoted that quickly as she returned to tickling the chin of the same pig. The baby animal obviously enjoyed having the loving attention of two people. Kamryn was wondering though if she should let tall, blonde, and eyebrows know that she knew exactly who he was, or keep going with the nonchalant chatter.
"I'm thinking about getting another…" She saw him turn his head and look at her for what she assumed was the first time out of her peripheral, but she didn't return the eye contact just yet, keeping her focus on the baby piglets pleading for the duo's attention. Kamryn didn't even falter when he suddenly softly asked, "Do you know who I am?" It was nearly a whisper, and it wasn't at all laced with cockiness that she would've expected maybe from James. She couldn't quite place what emotion was behind his words. It took her moment to realize he probably desperately wanted to talk with someone who didn't know who he was. He sounded like he needed a break.
But regardless of the realization, Kamryn didn't want to lie. If he didn't want to talk to her anymore, she would just have to deal with that. But maybe someone who knew who he was and wasn't freaking out and flailing about it would be just as good, or close enough for him. "Yeah, I do," she muttered back shyly, still not looking up at him. She smiled softly at a mostly brown piglet nudging the blonde boy's still hand eagerly.
He looked at her curiously, searching for any sign of typical "fangirl" and couldn't find any. "But you're not… freaking out?" He grimaced for a split second, as if not wanting to sound like he was used to the actions, because that would make it seem like he was too comfortable with his obvious fame. He didn't want to be that stuck up star. And maybe she knew who he was, but didn't like him or his band? He felt something pulling at him, like he wished that wasn't the case.
The brunette bit her lip for a moment, then shook her head with a crooked grin. "I'm not your typical fan."
"No, you're not, are you?" His murmur was almost to himself as his head started to spin and his heart started to beat faster at the possibilities and feelings soaring through his veins. He blinked a few times, more than a little confused at what was going on inside him.
That was when Kamryn made the mistake of finally turning her gaze to him and immediately meeting his smoldering jade green eyes. That was when she fell victim to his smile. "I'm Kamryn." The words rolled off of her tongue easily, and she never broke their strong eye contact.
The blonde boy's smile grew wider. "Kamryn…?"
"Hargrove. Kamryn Hargrove." The girl froze unnoticeably for a moment when she saw just how close she and the boy really were. Their faces weren't more than a foot apart. No boy had ever willingly stayed that close to her for so long before.
And then their fingers blindly yet perfectly met as they shook hands over their arms occupied in the glass cage beneath them and Kendall whispered, "I'm Kendall. Kendall Schmidt."
"It's nice to meet you, Kendall Schmidt." Kamryn started to grudgingly pull from his hand's grasp, but he wasn't ready to let go yet. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks at the long contact, and observed the redness creep up on him as well, but his smile and grip never faltered.
After a moment that resembled infinity for Kamryn, Kendall slowly let go of her hand and she tore her eyes away from him frantically, even if only for a moment to catch her breath, but when his voice occupied her thoughts, she was lost in his eyes again. "Likewise, Kamryn Hargrove."
But it wasn't long before Kamryn found herself peering around Kendall's shoulder confusedly. "Did you escape security's clutches?" She laughed lightly. "Why are you alone?"
He grinned and rolled his eyes playfully, taking a step away. She instantly grew sadder at the distance, and almost slapped herself for the feelings. She had just officially met him. She couldn't be having real feelings for him.
But neither could deny the connection.
To her delight though, Kendall merely grabbed her arm and dragged her a little farther into the store, stopping in front of a set of glass displays in the wall with puppies in them. With a charming smile, he pulled her down to the floor with him so that they were sitting with their knees drawn towards them and arms grazing in front of three puppies.
"I was tired of being confined to the bus," Kendall finally answered her questions, shrugging as he traced his index finger across the glass, trying to get one of the puppy's attention. He snuck a glance at his company before asking, "Why are you alone?"
Kamryn turned her head to watch him, and accidentally knocked his knee with hers in the process. But before her eyes even had a chance to widen at the unintentional contact, Kendall simply playfully returned the gesture, leading them into a continuous battle with their legs. The girl giggled, causing Kendall's absentminded smile to perk up at the sound. Could that really be the music to his ears he'd been searching for for so long?
"My friend that I'm here with is with our Houston friends right now. They all wanted to go to some shop all the way on the other side, but I just wasn't really up for it, so I came here instead. By myself." She shrugged as he had, unable to hide her sadness and resisting the urge to lean into the blonde altogether and putting her hand to the glass in front of them when one of the tiny Beagles came up to it.
The brunette found herself truly wondering if the boy sitting next to her could read her mind when he abruptly halted their knee war, picking up on her despair, and slowly leaned against her frame. She had to withhold a gasp at the explosion of butterflies in her stomach and the unrecognizable burn where the skin of their arms met, but once the initial shock in her body simmered down to tolerable, she easily pressed back, creating a new comfortableness between the two. They had hardly had a full conversation but the way they were leaning on each other physically and mentally was enough to make them trust one another instantly.
"That one likes you," Kendall murmured, pointing at the puppy that was attached to the glass with Kamryn's hand on the other side. They both giggled when the puppy licked the glass, going on to look confused about what his tongue had just touched. After a few seconds of somewhat comfortable silence, Kendall gently asked, "Why weren't you up for shopping? Isn't that every girl's favorite activity?" He smirked, pulling away enough to look at her with taunting eyes, gauging her reaction.
Kamryn shook her head, playfully scoffing. "Oh really? Then why aren't you off, flirting with someone or something? Isn't that every guy's favorite thing?" She mentally slapped herself for the lame comeback, but shrugged it off.
"Who says I'm not doing that right now?" He bit his lip as he gazed at her, all traces of humor vanished.
Kamryn was speechless.
The last thing the girl had expected was for Kendall to want to hang out longer, past the pet store experience. They had migrated to the play pen where they were able to sit and actually play with the puppies of their choice, but eventually, the mall and pet store began to grow more crowded as local schools let out, and Kendall knew he needed to split.
After actually stating that out loud though, he realized he didn't want to. At least not if it meant leaving Kamryn's company so soon. "Hey, you drove here, right?" he asked as he passed the puppy in his hands to her.
She nodded, humming a "mmhmm" with a small smile, only glancing up at him momentarily. The more time she spent with him, the more nervous she got, which was extremely unlike her. She felt weird making eye contact with him, almost as if it was going to mean something more than it should. But she wanted it to mean something more than it should, and that's what scared her more than anything.
Things seemed like they couldn't get any more normal as they laughed till they were blue when Kendall insisted on lying down in the front seat sideways with his head on Kamryn's lap and his feet dangling out the open window. Once they calmed down and regained their breath, their laughter only started right back up again when Kendall suggested they drive around the mall parking lot like this. "But you can't get too close to anything unless you want to knock my feet off!" he exclaimed half-jokingly.
"Yeah, I can't go down as the girl who knocked Kendall Schmidt, one-fourth of American boy band's feet off! How would you dance?!" Kamryn rebutted easily, unable to stop giggling.
"On my hands, of course!" Kendall yelled, awkwardly wrapping his arms around her backwards and tickling her sides, only increasing their fits more. She struggled against him, shouting for him to stop until she reached and pulled his hands away from her, still laughing, and he held one of hers down on his chest. "Now drive!" he demanded with a goofy smirk on his face. "With one hand!"
"No!" Kamryn cackled. "You, Mr. Schmidt, have a death wish obviously! For the both of us!" She tried to pull her hand away—although she didn't exactly want to—but he held it firmly in his own.
"Nope. Not letting go until you drive." He stuck his tongue out at her.
She couldn't help but laugh at his childish antics; he seemed so carefree and a lot happier than he had been when he first walked up on her. But she couldn't let herself believe the change was because of her. "Then I guess you're stuck with me forever." She mockingly stuck her tongue at him in return.
"Well then looks like you've got a lot of choreography to learn by tonight. I can't have you making us look bad on stage!" Kendall started playing with her fingers on his chest, focusing on them, unable to help the feeling of wanting to really be holding it, holding her.
"Oh please. Y'all need me up there!" She lightly pushed his head to the side as if pushing him.
He pretended to look hurt, then thoughtful. "I have always said we need a pretty girl in our group… can you sing?"
Kamryn's cheeks flamed pink and she withheld a smile from his underlying compliment. "Nope."
"Can you dance?"
"Definitely not."
"Perfect, you're in the band!" He leaned his head back slightly to grin widely at her. "We're not actually talented, so you'll fit right in." He winked and she shook her head, snickering.
"Oh, shut up. You're all extremely talented. I think the millions of screaming fangirls tells ya that."
A look that Kamryn didn't like, that didn't fit Kendall's personality, passed across his face; a look of insecurity. "Even me?" he murmured.
Kamryn felt they had grown too comfortable with one another too quickly, but at the same time, something had never felt so right. So she didn't stop herself from running her fingers through his hair, his eyelids drooping at the touch, while a concerned expression smothered her face, staring sideways down into his sad green eyes. "Especially you." She saw the corner of his mouth twitch like he was going to smile, and his eyes lit up for a moment, but it didn't last. "Do you seriously doubt your talent, Kendall?" she asked softly.
He sighed, pulling his feet inside the car and sitting back up. He turned his body toward her, resting an arm on the back of the seats and tapping the fingers of his other hand on the space between himself and Kamryn. "No." He looked away from her eyes. "Maybe… sometimes?" He sighed again and shook his head, staring down at his hand on the seat.
Kamryn tentatively placed a hand on his knee, driven by overwhelming concern and… care. She could feel her care for him etching deeper and deeper inside her, burying itself so it would be a part of her for quite some time. "I love your voice, not that my opinion really matters but-"
"It does!" Kendall interjected quickly, embarrassment flooding him at the way he spit that out. "Your opinion… I-… it matters to me." He glanced at her hand on his knee, fighting the urge to grab it, but she took his look the wrong way and quickly retracted it, wringing her fingers together nervously. He sighed.
The girl slunk down, low enough so that she could rest the side of her head against the seat and gaze up at him. Their bodies were closer and Kamryn's hair had fallen in her face, to which Kendall couldn't stop himself from fixing. He slowly brushed the loose strands behind her ear, almost testing whether or not she would resist. She didn't. He bit the inside of his lip as his hand curled around her ear and his thumb caressed the skin under her temple, his light green eyes fixated on her emerald ones. She blinked slowly a few times, staring right back until her hand came up to rest on his wrist, rubbing his hand the same way he was on her cheek. "Why are you so sad, Kendall?" she whispered, scared that anything louder would break this bubble they had around them, holding them together.
He hadn't talked to anyone about this, his deepest, personal thoughts, but he couldn't stop the words from spilling. "I just don't feel good enough for anything—anyone—anymore…" His expression turned pained and he stared at her chin rather than her eyes, only making Kamryn tighten her grip on his wrist so he wouldn't retract from her. "I just… I don't know how to explain it; I just feel so worthless all the time. It's this horrible feeling just dragging me down…" he trailed off, and when he dragged his eyes back up to hers, he saw them full of unshed tears. "No what are you doing? D-Don't cry!" He furrowed his eyebrows and moved his face closer.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut, silent tears falling. "I just don't see how someone as incredible as you could be feeling exactly like I do…" She felt like an idiot for crying in front of him like this, yet something told her it was completely okay.
Kendall wiped her tears with his thumb that already held a place on her cheek and shook his head. "Funny," he murmured. "Because I don't see how someone as incredible as you could be feeling like I do."
She tried to smile gratefully at him, but it came as more of a grimace. But she let her face fall towards his hand, finding comfort in it, urging him to caress her as her fingers glided upward until they rested atop his. She didn't know what was happening. Why were they acting this way with one another? It didn't make sense, but it's like they weren't even thinking about it, it was just… happening.
"We're supposed to be talking about you," Kamryn mumbled, gazing up at him through her long, damp eyelashes.
Kendall bit his lip, taking in her tear-glistened eyes and flushed cheeks, relishing in his feelings. And then he sighed, weighed down by his troubles once again. "It's going to sound stupid." But Kamryn shook her head. "It's just all the pressure. It builds up, ya know? I-… my family are the ones who have always helped me through everything, they've always been there for me, but here lately… they've needed me, and I haven't been able to be there for them. I can just feel my connection to them breaking, and it's one of the worst feelings…" The blonde inhaled deeply. "It'd almost be better if it was a big ego getting in the way or something—I'm still the same Kendall—but it is the fame. The more famous we get, the busier we get."
"I'm sorry," the girl whispered inaudibly. One corner of Kendall's mouth turned up in a half smile.
"But then there's the contradicting part to my stress." He chuckled humorlessly. "I say the more famous we get, but now we're at a standstill. All these other boybands have appeared and are already ahead of us. We're… we're getting so much shit from people, Kam-" He dubbed her a nickname without so much as a second thought. "I'm getting so much-… I didn't think I would even make it through Spring tour."
Kamryn frowned, nodding slightly. "I heard people were cruel… and I had a feeling it really got to you. I was right, wasn't I?"
"When people are telling you to go home at your own concert, telling you how untalented you are, how unattractive you are, when they stop talking and shout rude things at you when you walk up, when they all leave when your set starts… you start to hear it, you start to see it… you start to believe it. I mean, I-… I'm obviously the least attractive, my voice is the most different… I don't live up to everyone's standards, and it just eats away at me."
Silence lingered for a few moments as the two simply stared at one another, until finally Kamryn spoke up. "You've always been my favorite."
Kendall's tense expression broke out into a brilliant grin as he released an airy laugh, relief coursing through him as if her words cured all of his anxiety. He could feel himself slowly inching towards her as time and this conversation passed. He was longing to close the distance, and it was taking every ounce of will he had to hold back.
"Kendall… you've just got to remember that 98% of the people saying and doing those things to you are 12 year old, One Direction worshippers, and the other 2% are even stupider than they are. Trust me, I know how bad it sucks to have everyone talking shit about you, but when I look at you, all I see is your talent, and how sweet you are, how attractive…" This was the moment Kamryn realized Kendall was only a few inches away from her face. "Those gorgeous green eyes…" she mumbled just before his lips touched hers.
There was no force, no hastiness; Kendall simply let their lips linger, held softly against the other's for a few seconds until he pulled back enough to see her face.
When his thumb was stroking her cheek again and the realization of what just happened sunk in, Kamryn's eyes went wide. "Kendall, what is happening?" she questioned breathlessly.
"I don't know," he murmured. "I don't know…"
And not another word was spoken about it; about the kiss, their connection. It was like they came to a silent mutual agreement to forget it ever happened, even though it was burned into both memories with no intention of fading.
Instead, Kamryn dug her Van's cap out of the backseat and gave it to Kendall so his face would be more hidden in case of random passersby, and he settled with a pillow between his back and the window so he could prop himself up and hold Kamryn against his chest while she explained to him why she was so sad.
Already, their bond was one that could not be broken.
"They're gonna think I'm kissing you," Kendall murmured giddily while his nose touched the tip of Kamryn's, earlier events still "forgotten."
She shuddered visibly, earning a smirk from him, but shook her head. "They can see through my windshield, dummy." But all she wanted in that moment was for his perfect lips to encase hers. She didn't even try to push away the feelings enveloping every inch of her anymore. She already missed the way their lips felt pressed against one another.
Kendall quirked an eyebrow suggestively at her and blindly reached up to pull down the sunlight visor to block at least the top half of their faces. Deciding to play along, Kamryn deftly slipped the cap from Kendall's head and used it to block the rest of their faces, giggling and tousling his hat hair. "Now they'll really think so, won't they?" she smiled up at him, taking in his breathtaking eyes for the hundredth time that day.
Her heart nearly leaped out of her throat when in a flash, his forehead was resting against hers, their noses were sliding against one another, and their lips were less than an inch apart.
But he didn't kiss her. "I wanna see you again, Kam." His voice slipped out soft and raspy as his eyes slid closed. Kamryn simply followed suit as his hand found the side of her neck, twirling his fingers through her hair like he had known her his whole life.
"You will," she muttered weakly. "Tomorrow…"
Kendall's breath hit Kamryn's instinctively parted lips and she became close to unraveling at the seams and kissing him herself, right then and there. "Tonight," he pleaded in that same raspy tone that only made it sound like he was slowly breaking at the thought of parting from the girl he'd only met earlier today for too long. He retracted a mere inch or two to see her eyes as she opened them, but then made the mistake of glancing down at her lips as she anxiously licked and bit them. Heat that he knew wasn't coming from the sun beating down on his back trickled up his skin as visions of having the privilege of kissing Kamryn flashed through his tattered mind. He fought himself all day, holding back from feeling, and failing, holding back from acting, and really failing… But he didn't care how long he had known her.
He knew this girl was it. She was the one he had been searching for.
"The guys and I are having…" Kendall hesitated, distracting himself by continuing to play with Kamryn's hair. "Well I don't know what you would call it. A get-together if you will. We've sorta been wanting to have like a little bonfire or camp fire or whatever…" He chuckled nervously. "We found a spot earlier. It's gonna be kinda like those Warped Tour after-parties, you know? But with less barbeque and booze." He unleashed a sheepish smile on her before continuing. "I'd really like it if you came along."
"Kendall, I'd love to, but my friends…"
"They can come too!" The blonde nodded frantically. Anything to get more time with Kamryn. Even though realistically, if these people were important to Kamryn, they were important to him too. "Seriously, the more the merrier!"
Kamryn giggled at the goofy grin plastered on the beautiful boy's face, thinking how this was a complete one-eighty from their intense moment before, and nodded before even thinking it through. "Then I'll be there. Just tell me where to go."
Kendall lit up at her words, his green eyes practically glowing, and in the midst of his excitement he eagerly leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss to her cheek. To hide the embarrassment of her cheeks reddening, Kamryn playfully shoved his cap back in his face with a laugh that he easily joined in with while backing out of her car window slightly to give her some space. "People are gonna think we were makin' out with how long we were hidden!" Kendall wiggled his eyebrows, his shoulders shimmying as he edged close to her again for just a second.
"Kendall, shut up!" Kamryn snickered, shaking her head. He kept bringing up kissing one another, and it was making her really antsy.
If he was thinking about it too, why wouldn't he just do it again already?
"Well…" Kendall's playful expression disappeared. "I guess I really need to go find the guys now…" He held the hat he'd been wearing out to her, but she shook her head.
"Keep it."
"But-"
"You could always give it back to me tonight…" She smiled shyly at him.
Kendall grinned. "It's a date." When she giggled, he beamed at her. "I'll text you the details for tonight after the show, alright?" She nodded. "I promise." He heard his name being called in the distance, and he looked, seeing a frantic Carlos on the other side of the lot. "I gotta go."
"'Kay. I'll see you tonight."
"I'll be the one falling on my ass on stage," Kendall joked.
Kamryn laughed. "I'll be the one in the crowd trying not to laugh at you."
"I'll be looking for you."
Kendall leaned back into the car and nuzzled his nose against Kamryn's cheek, placing a chaste kiss there as she mumbled, "I'm counting on it."
"Kamryn, where are we going?!" Alice questioned anxiously, pulling her black hair up into a ponytail while Kamryn stared at her phone and led the way to some "mystery" place.
"Yeah, and are you going to tell us where the hell you were while the rest of us were at the mall?!" One of Kamryn's other friends, Gabby, interjected.
But Kamryn was distracted, dying to be back in the presence of a particular tall, blonde, and eyebrows. He had found her during the show alright; she didn't know how, but it only took two songs. He pointed at her, a beautiful smile overtaking his face as he belted out a verse and fell into a matching choreography with the guys. Her friends had flailed around her, thinking it just an amazing coincidence, but Kamryn knew better.
"I told you I just took a drive." Kamryn shrugged half-heartedly. It wasn't a complete lie. "Needed to clear my head. And as for where we're going… it's a surprise." She giggled. "Y'all are going to love it, I swear." Just as the words were out of her mouth, she saw smoke lifting from behind the gate that led to the back of the venue. What a spot, she thought to herself, shaking her head. She waltzed right up to the rather large security guard.
"Kamryn we can't go back th-"
"You Kamryn Hargrove?" The burly guard asked.
"Yes, sir. And these are my friends." Kamryn grinned; she could hear her friends gasping and murmuring in wonder behind her.
The guard nodded. "I'm Doug," he informed as he began to undo the lock on the gate. "You're just gonna go through here. If y'all need anything, just let me know."
"Thanks Doug!" Kamryn beamed at him and walked on through the gate. She saw a couple of people lingering around, but none she knew. She stopped when she realized her friends weren't behind her and looked back to see them hesitating at the gate with wide eyes. "Guys, come on- OH MY GOD!" Arms had snaked around her waist and she was abruptly lifted in the air. She was alarmed until she heard Kendall cackling underneath her. "Kendall!" She gripped his arms and laughed loudly, echoing across the lot. "Oh my god you're so sweaty!"
That only made him laugh more as he gently set her down and spun her around to face him. "Sorry," he grinned. "I wanted to make sure you guys made it before I got freshened up!"
"Well we're here!" Kamryn couldn't stop giggling, only increasing her fit when Kendall's hands found their places on her hips. "Get off, you're gross!" She pushed at him playfully but his grip only tightened and he moved closer.
"Scared of a little sweat, Kam?!" Kendall dove headfirst into the crook of her neck, rubbing his damp hair all across her skin, causing her to shriek and shove at him.
"Stop!" Her laughs broke through her whining too easily.
"Okay, okay! I quit, I swear!" Kendall exclaimed, holding Kamryn back at arm's length with a smirk. Then his voice dropped to a whisper. "Why are your friends hanging back like that?"
"Well I may not have exactly told them where we were going, and didn't tell them about earlier, so they're probably freaking out," she laughed.
Kendall shook his head with a crooked grin. "Well, while you shake 'em out of it, I'm gonna go change, and when I get back you can introduce us all, 'kay?"
She nodded. "Sounds like a plan, Stan!"
The blonde started backing away toward the buses. "It's Kendall." He pointed at her with an amused smirk. "But I'll let it slide that time!"
"Oh shut up!" She waved him off with her hand and shook her head, turning to her friends with bright eyes and calling them over.
"What. The. Fuck." Andi remarked stiffly when all four friends walked up.
Kamryn chuckled nervously. "Surprise?"
As quickly as she possibly could, Kamryn filled her stupefied friends in on her encounter with Kendall. Every single little detail… except the kiss. How could she possibly explain that perfect moment and the deep connection they seemed to have?
"Why didn't you tell us?!" Natalie whispered, obviously scared she would be overheard by anyone important. "And oh my gosh; when he pointed to you and was being all cute—that wasn't a coincidence!"
"Ha, nope…" Kamryn smiled weakly. "And I don't know! By the time I got back to the mall, it was almost time for the concert, and I just felt rushed and overwhelmed, and I really wanted the bonfire to be a surprise!"
"Well this is pretty much the best fuckin' surprise ever, so you're definitely forgiven!" Andi laughed, hugging her friend tightly.
Kamryn hugged her back. "Good!" Then a familiar mane of blonde hair caught her attention from the corner of her eye, stepping off of one of the buses.
"Hey you," Kendall called as he approached the group of girls, immediately slinking an arm around Kamryn's shoulders.
Kamryn couldn't stop herself from automatically cozying up to the blonde, turning in toward him and resting a hand on his stomach while they looked at each other for just a second, the extremely close proximity of their lips proving to be too much. Kamryn cleared her throat and broke his eye contact. "Guys, this is Kendall as y'all know. Kendall, this is Andi, Natalie, Gabby, and Alice, my very best friends in the entire world!" She beamed around at all of them.
Kendall's expression matched hers as he shook each of the girls' hands. "It's so nice to meet all of you. Seriously!" The girls all greeted him just as enthusiastically and genuinely. "I'm glad you're here! Just make yourselves comfortable. James should be on his way back with some kind of seating…" He looked around until he spotted the muscular brunette. "Oh! There he is! Hey James!" he yelled. "Make sure there are enough chairs for the ladies here."
"Of course, of course!" James began setting up chairs. "Right this way ladies! First class seats for our oh-so-elegant bonfire." He grinned charmingly in the group's direction and Kamryn's friends were like putty in his hands, stumbling over to him without a second thought. And with good reason. The man was the definition of hot.
Before Kamryn knew it, Kendall was reaching around to the other side of her waist and pulling her so they were face to face. "You're not following James' every command and melting under his sexy gaze?" He smiled to show he was only messing with her and his thumbs rubbed circles into her sides.
"Mmm…" Kamryn leaned toward his embrace, placing her hands on his upper arms. "I'm happy right where I am, thank you very much."
"That makes two of us," Kendall murmured warmly, shuffling closer to her until they were hugging and his mouth was at her ear. After a moment of tense silence, Kendall couldn't keep his thoughts to himself anymore. "I miss your lips," he whispered, feeling Kamryn's grip around him tighten at his words.
He heard her inhale to respond, but they were interrupted by a boisterous Logan. "The party down start 'til I walk innnn!" he shouted/sang as he pranced up from the direction of the buses, coming to an abrupt stop next to Kendall and Kamryn, who were reluctantly pulling away from one another. "Well what do we have here," Logan mumbled. "You must be Kamryn!" He smirked at the slight widen of her eyes at the idea that Kendall had obviously talked about her.
"Y-Yeah. Hey!" She held out her hand which Logan graciously took.
"Nice to officially meet you. I've heard a lot about ya." He winked and Kendall narrowed his eyes at his dark-haired best friend.
After that, Kendall and Kamryn felt it a good idea to join civilization, so Kamryn pulled up a chair between Natalie and James, after Kendall's insistence, because the blonde had every intention of sitting on the ground between the girl's legs.
He had it bad, and he couldn't even deny it.
The party was a calm one, Kamryn and her four friends really the only "special guests" of the evening; everyone else involved with the tour came and went, leaving the fire mostly only occupied by Kendall, James, Kamryn, her friends, Carlos and Logan for the lapse of the night. They talked and laughed and played innocent games, simply enjoying one another's company. And Kendall and Kamryn were absolutely inseparable. They refused to be away from one another for more than a few minutes, and everyone noticed, but they kept their observations to themselves.
They all figured it was just some kind of fling anyway.
Kamryn was antsy. There was no other word for it. She couldn't stop fidgeting and/or bouncing up and down. She was in line, in Dallas, for the meet and greet with BTR. Not that she exactly needed that experience anymore but… she was desperate. She'd already been to soundcheck where she and Kendall practically eye-raped each other the entire time, but she had been at least ten rows back and it just wasn't enough.
They hadn't gotten to see each other before the show this time; the guys had a radio interview and their security was tightened thanks to Kendall's adventures the day before, so they only had the 30 second meet and greet, and hopefully after the show as well.
Nothing else happened between them the night before. Not even a kiss. But Kendall hugged her tight for as long as he could before they had to part ways, and once Kamryn and Alice (their Houston friends gone home) made it to their hotel, he texted her. They messaged until conversation somewhat died down, and they knew they both needed to sleep. But their bodies were buzzing with adrenaline too much to sleep. Adrenaline and wonder.
Kamryn couldn't believe how badly she was dying to be in Kendall's presence again. It took a day to fall hard and fast for him, and it completely scared her. But one thing that kept her going, that she was absolutely positive of… somehow in this weird world we live in, Kendall felt the same way about her.
The line started moving forward and it took all Kamryn had not to gasp aloud. She was sure she resembled a twelve year old fangirl at the moment, but she couldn't find it in herself to care.
Soon enough, Kamryn was next in line, gaze already locked with the familiar pale green eyes across the room, only broken when Kendall had to smile for the camera—the girl's attention had belonged to Carlos, so Kendall avoided being rude. And when said girl walked off, her turn over, the other three guys' attention turned to Kamryn as well. "KAMRYN!" They all simultaneously yelled.
James pulled her into a massive bear hug, nearly suffocating her. Logan punched her in the arm, only to cackle and state he was just messing with her, and gave her a quick hug. "Gosh it's been so long! I just missed you so freaking much!" Carlos whined, wrapping his arms tightly around Kamryn, and his voice almost sounded mock-y. She suddenly wondered if he was making fun of Kendall.
And then it was Kendall's turn, and that hug was by far more meaningful and wonderful than the other three. Kendall started whispering to her, and the feeling of his lips grazing against her ear sent light tremors rolling through her. "I couldn't sleep last night."
Kamryn breathed out a shaky breath, not able to believe he actually seemed to be going through the same thing she was. "Me neither," she murmured.
That was all the confirmation Kendall needed. "Meet me behind the buses after the show." He nodded slightly against her and placed a light kiss on her ear, undetectable to everyone else around them.
Kamryn pulled off her best acting skills yet when she reluctantly pulled away from his body and shot a brilliant casual smile to all four boys. "See y'all at the show! Look for me!" She winked for good measure and all five laughed together, but as she walked away to retrieve her things, one pair of eyes burned into her. She didn't know how she could feel it, but she could.
"Well you're coming to the Oklahoma show, right? What is it, like, four hours from here?" Kendall laughed casually as if it were no big thing as he unknowingly inched closer to Kamryn, dipping his face so his eyes could meet hers more evenly. They were hidden in a secluded area behind one of the buses.
Kamryn smiled sadly—feeling nothing short of ripped apart inside—and shook her head, watching as the adorable smile stretching across his face dropped quicker than she could blink. She couldn't lie when she said the sight broke her heart. "I… it was in my original plan but…" She gazed at him pleadingly, wanting him to understand even though before two days ago, she wouldn't have owed him any kind of excuse or explanation, it just wouldn't have mattered.
"C-Can you come… t-to Oklahoma…? Please?" Hearing his broken voice nearly brought tears to her eyes, and she found herself lifting her hand up to caress his cheek, but she stopped herself with mental wide eyes; she hadn't yet shown him straightforward affection as he had so many times already. Her breath hitched when Kendall unexpectedly, but gently grabbed her wrist and pulled it up towards where her hand had been heading in the first place. "You can do that," he murmured with a slight nod of his head before placing her hand flush against his cheek, a spark seeming to shoot through them at the simple and innocent contact.
"Kendall, I-I'm almost out of money. I barely have enough to make it home. I-…" She didn't know what else she could say as tears actually welled up in her eyes, completely at a loss. "I-I want to be there, you have to know that…" She brought her free hand up to his other cheek, cupping his face.
His eyes slid shut, warmth surging through him but all tangled with sadness. "Then be there," Kendall whispered anxiously. "I'll cover you—I'll pay for your gas and food, I'll get you into the show, just… please."
"I could never ask you to do that… Gas is expensive, Kendall…"
The blonde actually smiled down at her, opening his eyes. "Not to sound like a stuck-up celebrity or anything, but I do have plenty of money that I don't need and would be more than happy—ecstatic—to give you if it meant I got one or two more days with you… please? Let me help you? Pleeease?" He poked his bottom lip out, his eyes glistening perfectly to correlate with his pout.
"Damn it, don't look at me like that!" Kamryn whined as she removed her hands from his face, moving forward and leaning her forehead on his chest. She sighed when his arms wrapped tightly around her, a perfect fit, and he nuzzled his nose against her ear.
"We can figure out a way for you to pay me back, okay?" he murmured sweetly. "And maybe I could ride with you for the drive to Oklahoma…?"
The idea nearly had Kamryn on Cloud 9; she couldn't help but give in. "Of course you can ride with me," she responded softly. "But you know Alice will be there…"
"I know," Kendall mumbled, continuously rubbing his nose across her skin. "My worst enemy could be in that car with us, but it wouldn't matter because I'd be with you."
"I can't believe Doug is actually letting you ride with us!" Alice exclaimed in disbelieving giggle as Kendall handed the snacks she'd requested back to her.
"Well…" Kendall chuckled, divvying up his and Kamryn's snacks on his own lap, glancing over at his girl of interest as if he couldn't go too long without seeing her. "I'd take all the credit and say it's because I'm just amazing, but I think he has a soft spot for you girls, so I intend on taking advantage of it!" He made sure to look at both girls as he playfully bounced his eyebrows up and down.
They laughed with him and Kamryn shoved his arm. "So you're just using us?!" She scoffed. "You can walk to Oklahoma."
Paired with an overdramatic gasp, Kendall placed a hand over his heart. "You wouldn't!"
Kamryn shook her head and reached over to run her fingers through her hair. "Nope. I wouldn't."
Alice couldn't even be shocked by how the pair acted anymore; she had seen enough of it in the few hours she had spent with the both of them the night before.
It took an hour for silence to fall upon the trio. They had talked and sang along to the radio, laughed endlessly while Kendall fed Kamryn as she drove. Now there were at least three hours left to travel, and Alice had presumably fallen asleep, leaving Kamryn and Kendall somewhat alone.
Kendall looked into the backseat to see Alice's eyes indeed closed, and found himself automatically snaking his hand down Kamryn's arm until he was tugging her hand from the steering wheel so he could lace his fingers through hers. She sighed contently and squeezed their hands together. But her thoughts and feelings were nagging at her. Even if she and Kendall moved forward with whatever this was, how would they keep it up? She lives in Texas, and he lives in California. She didn't know if she could handle long distance.
"Kendall… what is this?" she whispered desperately. They had to talk about it. Before it was too late.
As his thumb caressed her hand with continual, comforting strokes, he took a moment to study the profile of her face. He adored the way her long, dark eyelashes curled above her forest green eyes naturally, and the way her teeth nibbled and sucked on her bottom lip relentlessly—obviously a nervous habit. And the way their hands fit together… Kendall hated to be cliché but the fit was so perfect he'd swear they were made for one another. He put a lot of stock in the term soulmate… and he was positive this girl was his.
"I know what it is for me…" Kendall murmured. "B-But it might not be that way for you…"
"You'd be surprised…" Kamryn gave him a quick glance, a pleading look in her eyes. "What is it for you?"
"I…I'm…" As sure as Kendall was about his feelings, it didn't make it any easier to say it aloud. Especially when such strong words could scare her off; they'd only known each other for two days. "I'm f-falling in love with you, Kamryn." His voice was barely audible as he squeezed her hand and picked invisible lint from his sweatpants.
Kamryn nearly choked. There was no way she heard him correctly. But it was just the insecure girl deep inside her taking over. She had known all along that their feelings for one another were mutual. "H-How did we… of all the girls you meet in the world, Kendall Schmidt, why me?"
"I mean, did you choose to feel this way about me?" he questioned easily, scrutinizing the side of her face again. "And don't doubt yourself. You're amazing, Kam."
Kamryn took a deep breath as they slowed to a halt at a stoplight, and she spotted a gas station ahead. She turned her head to see him. "How would we make this work, Kendall?" She was on the verge of tears at the thought of not being with him, now that the words had been said aloud, that they felt the same about one another.
Bringing their hands to his face, Kendall grazed his lips along her skin as his eyes slid shut. "We'll find a way."
Kamryn's watery eyes focused back on the road as the stoplight turned green, and she quickly changed lanes so she could pull into the gas station ahead. She didn't say anything as she parked next to a pump and got out, desperately hoping her blonde companion would follow. He did.
It was the middle of the night and the gas station was sketchy as all get out, which is what excuse Kendall was sure he would use if Kamryn asked why he'd followed her, but she didn't. He just pulled out his card and entered his information at the pump while the girl opened her car's gas tank and proceeded to set the pump on automatic before turning to face him.
Their eyes fixated on each other's with an incredible intensity. There were no words, only Kendall inching closer to her until the distance was gone and his lips were pressed earnestly against hers. The kiss deepened after only a few seconds, their mouths working together softly until Kendall traced her bottom lip with his tongue, and Kamryn happily parted her lips for him, their tongues tangling and dancing around each other, prodding, taking turns to explore one another's mouths shamelessly.
By the time they breathlessly separated, the need for air too much, Kamryn was clutching onto Kendall's shirt like her life depended on it, and his hands were tangled deep in her hair. They were both blinking rapidly, trying to process the undeniable, intense spark between them.
"I think I literally saw fireworks," Kamryn breathed out, an expression of embarrassment quickly crossing her face for saying that out loud.
Kendall shook his head, a small smile on his face as he leaned his face close to hers again. "Me too, baby, me too." He kissed her hard, and only the beeping reminding them they were in fact at a gas station and Kamryn's friend was still in the car pulled them apart again a few seconds later. But Kendall wouldn't let her go, shaking his head. "Not yet," he whispered, nipping at her lips as he gently placed her back against the car.
They kissed until their lips were numb and swollen, and Kendall rested his forehead against hers. "We should probably get back to driving," Kamryn mumbled, obviously against the idea. She'd much rather stay wrapped in Kendall's arms…
Kendall grinned, a throaty chuckle escaping his lips. "How about I drive, and we can lift that middle console so you can snuggle your cute butt up next to me?"
She nuzzled her nose against his and hummed contently. "That sounds perfect."
"Hey guys, do you know where Kendall is?" Logan trotted up to his other two bandmates.
"Where do you think he is?" Carlos asked excitedly. Kendall had briefed him in on what had happened with him and Kamryn, and how he felt about her, earlier in the day, and being the sappy, hopeless romantic Carlos was, he was oozing excitement for his blonde best friend.
Logan sighed overdramatically. "The girl." He rolled his eyes playfully. "I guess he is officially not a 'he' anymore." James and Carlos reared their heads back at him in confusion. "He's a they." He widened his eyes with his word for dramatic effect.
The other two chuckled. "It only took two days," James stated.
"Two days? I think it only took him like an hour!" Carlos exclaimed with a laugh. "You know they kissed like two or three hours after they met, right?"
"Oh he is so far gone," James shook his head, but it was all in good fun. He was happy for his friend.
"Well you know… he has been searching for his 'soulmate' out on the road…" Logan murmured as the trio watched the pair in question in the distance; Kendall had Kamryn by the waist, bending her over backward to kiss her repeatedly, leading a playful trail from her lips down to her neck.
"Yeah," Carlos nodded vigorously. "And I think he's finally found her."
